There is no record at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) that John Paul Estrada, a former aide of resigned congressman Zaldy Co who has been charged criminally before the Sandiganbayan, left the Philippines.

BI Spokesperson Dana Sandoval said: “Upon initial verification, we have found no record of any departure incident involving the individual (John Paul Estrada) in question.”

However, Sandoval said the BI is conducting a thorough review and will submit its findings to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other concerned agencies.

The BI issued the statement in response to allegations made by former congressman Mike Defensor that Estrada was prevented from testifying in the anomalies in the government flood control projects after he and his wife were detained and beaten up by personnel of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

In published reports, Defensor also alleged that the NBI also gave the Estrada couple fake passports and were forced to leave for Chile.

“All immigration counters are equipped with passport readers capable of detecting counterfeit travel documents,” Sandoval stressed as she refuted that the spouses were able to use fake passports.

Earlier, the NBI said it had already communicated with Defensor who was asked to show proof of the allegations.

“Absent any credible proof, these allegations remain unfounded, cannot be given weight, and may even lead to prosecution for its malicious intent to undermine the credibility and integrity of the Bureau,” the NBI warned.

On the other hand, the NBI assured, if there is evidence to the claims made by Defensor, “the Bureau shall proceed with the appropriate investigative actions.”

“The Bureau remains fully open to any formal investigation and welcomes any legitimate inquiry to establish the truth,” it also said.